It happened again a week or two later when a religious organization wrote assorted Bible verses on the sidewalk across from Spartan Stadium and got into the chalk equivalent of a flame war with some idiots who were rather unimpressed with the sentiment they expressed. I swear I got dumber just by having to see them every day as I walked along that street.

I imagine religion is an issue most college students struggle with to some degree or another. For me, it’s a comparatively simple issue. My parents always insisted I accompany them to church every week, right up until I left for MSU last summer. I couldn’t stand it, so the moment I was given a choice, I chose to skip it and sleep in every week. I didn’t even have to think twice.

I bring this up because of how weird it’s been to be back home for almost a month and not have to attend church anymore. Sunday, a group of friends and I are headed to the Six Flags in our area for the day. I told my parents earlier in the week, and they accepted it without question.

I suppose you have to know me better for that to really make sense. And I’m sure there are plenty of you reading who don’t understand how I could possibly tolerate going to church every week, just as I’m sure there are others who don’t get why I wouldn’t want to go every week. Religion is a very individual thing, and that’s fine.

But that brings me to my point: Religion is individual, so why does it matter if someone else’s actions violate your beliefs?

I can only imagine the crap I’m going to get for this, but I’ll plow ahead anyway.

I recently read about how the group One Million Moms posted a complaint on their Facebook page about a J.C. Penney catalog featuring a male gay couple. Within minutes, comments started rolling in, most of them saying things such as, “Well, guess I need to start shopping at J.C. Penney” or “Wow, you must love J.C. Penney to be giving them this much free advertising.” After a while, the group got tired of it and took the post down, deciding it wasn’t worth being trolled. But this is hardly the first time a quasi-religious organization has come out against homosexuals being portrayed positively, nor will it be the last. That’s the nature of the beast.

Trust me, I have a point in all of this. And this brings me back to being forced to attend church all those years.

I grew up learning about Jesus as someone who loved others unconditionally and taught kindness above all else. I grew up hearing about how we are all sinners and should love our neighbor as ourselves. I grew up hearing that forgiveness was possible.

But where is that in the real world?

Where is the golden rule when homosexual students are taunted and bullied mercilessly for something they can’t control? Where is “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone” when the Westboro Baptist Church is protesting military funerals? Where is peace, love and kindness?

I’ve been using the word “religion” as a stand-in for “Christianity” for the purposes of this piece. My experiences have been with Christianity, so that’s my frame of reference. But I would consider all religions to be equally guilty of this, although I don’t know much about those that are not Christianity.

That inherent hypocrisy — where the Pope is aware of some priests molesting children but is not OK with people being gay, to name the first thing that pops into my head — is what soured me on the whole thing.

Having said that, I know plenty of people who are religious — Christian or not — that I like and respect. Similarly, I know people who are not religious whom I dislike and have little to no respect for.

I don’t have any problem with either approach, religious or nonreligious. But I hate the sense of superiority some people get because they consider themselves religious, and how you barely are even worth their time because you’re not saved.

Sigh. I guess what I’m saying is religion is fine and can be very useful to people in times of stress or doubt.

Just keep it to yourself, OK?

Caleb Nordgren is a guest columnist at The State News and a journalism junior. Reach him at nordgren@msu.edu.